Did you know there is an unfinished work that Jesus left for
us to do during our time here on earth? Realizing and understanding this truth
is the foundation for understanding your ministry as a Christian.
In the opening verse of Acts 1:1 we see that Jesus “began to
do and teach”.
“In the first book, O Theophilus,
I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach.” ~Acts 1:1
What is the work that Jesus asks us to do? We find the
answer in Acts 1:8-9.
But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said
these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him
out of their sight.”
As Christians, we are called to finish the work that Jesus began
during his ministry here on earth. We are called to be His witnesses.
Jesus finished the work of redemption on the cross. There is
nothing else you or I can do or add to his finished work on the cross. The gift
of salvation is a finished work. It’s a gift that we are called to share with
the world.
What is it that Jesus “began to do and
teach”? The commandments of God. We can’t even begin to be His witnesses if we
do not know the truth of God. We have to know what the Bible says. That’s why
it’s so important for us to be in God’s Word every day, learning our growing,
so we can be faithful witnesses rightly handling the Word of God.
In the next six weeks while we are reading
in the book of Acts with the Good Morning Girls, we are going to be taking a glimpse into the lives of
people who did their part in finishing the unfinished work that Jesus began in
his ministry during His time on earth.
We all have a part to play in the
unfinished work of Jesus. Each one of us who are born-again believers in the family
of God has been assigned a part in finishing the work which Jesus began.
The apostle Paul understood his part in
finishing the work that Jesus began. He says to the Ephesian Elders in Acts
20:22-24:
And now, behold, I am
going to Jerusalem, constrained by
the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit
testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account
my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course
and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel
of the grace of God.”
Even with continual warnings from the Holy
Spirit of the troubles and afflictions he would be facing in every city, Paul
would not be deterred from his part in finishing the work that Jesus began. He
wasn’t concerned with protecting his life or saving for retirement! His
motivation was finishing his part in the unfinished work of Jesus.
Do we, as Christians, have the same
motivation to fulfill our part in the unfinished work of Jesus?
What will we do with the time we have been
given here on this earth?
The journey we begin today in the book of
Acts testifies about the work that the Holy Spirit accomplished through His
people in order to finish the unfinished work of Jesus. It’s a work of the Holy
Spirit that continues even today in and through us as we live our lives for the
purpose of finishing the work that Jesus gave us to do.
Understanding your ministry as a Christian requires taking
an honest look at the priorities you have set in place for your life. Has the
busyness of this world choked out your time for reading in the Bible? I invite
you to join me in the book of Acts for the next six weeks. Let’s learn together about
the acts of the Holy Spirit that are recorded in the book of Acts and get a
fresh vision for how we can be a part of finishing the unfinished work of
Jesus!
Walking in His Grace,
Laurie
Each week, I am blessed to be able to link-up with the following awesome
blogs. While you're here at Grace-Filled-Moments, please take some time
to visit my blogging friends listed below.
Tuesday: Hip Homeschool Moms, F. Dean Hackett ~ Tell It To Me Tuesday, Time-Warp Wife Titus 2sDay
Wednesday: A Little R&R, Messy Marriage, Mom's Morning Coffee, Soul Survivor, Wholehearted Home
Thursday: Hearts for Home, I Choose Joy, The Evolution of Mom
Friday: A Divine Encounter, Missional Women, Women Living Well, home of Good Morning Girls
